


(text) me, beep me, if you want to reach me

by Somedrunkpirate



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: 5 short scenes, Arthur is frustrated, Ficlet, Humor, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 09:40:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9650060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Somedrunkpirate/pseuds/Somedrunkpirate
Summary: The wrong number trope but actually not really. Casualties: 8 phones.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to keep up a weekly posting schedule, but because my big works are not done within the week... Ficlets! A little idea got in the bus, hope you like it! If you have any idea's or prompts for this pair please message me on tumblr, I would love to write a ficlet for you!
> 
> The big work is gonna be posted after the exchange coming up because it will get buried otherwise, and we don't want that. So a few weeks of ficlets it's gonna be :D

i.

 

 _Ring around the rosies_  
_Pockets full of posies_  
_Ashes_  
_Ashes_  
We all fall down.

Arthur looked at his screen in confusion. The text was from a number without caller-id, and because this was burner he got for the job, no one except for his temporary co-workers were able to reach this number.  Arthur shrugged, focusing on his work; it was probably nothing. Someone had texted the wrong number, probably. More absurd things happened to Arthur daily.

 

ii.

 

_Imagination_

 

Arthur pulled his phone out of his pocket, slightly alarmed. He only just bought this phone, no one knew this number. Arthur took his security very seriously and didn’t trust technology that could be hacked or bugged. Every job, he switched phones, giving the number only to a select body of people, those who had relevance to the job. Arthur was notorious for not being reachable. As he didn’t have a permanent phone number, Arthur initiated all contact. If someone inside dreamshare wanted to reach him, they had to put the message out there and wait for Arthur to call them. Arthur preferred it this way.

But Arthur was busy with the preparation for the current job in question, so he left the text for what it was.  

 

iii.

 

_The horizon tries, but it’s just not as kind on the eyes_

 

But the texts didn’t stop there.

The third phone got its text a week after Arthur bought it. Arthur tried to text back, but this time it was a blocked number and he couldn’t. He was annoyed; three times was no longer coincidence - but rather, it hinted at a security problem. If someone was able to get his phone number without Arthur knowing how, his whole system was useless and any communications through the phones were compromised. He switched phones mid job. Still, the new phone gets a list of words not a few hours later.

_Crimson, orange, grey, azure, amaranth, bole, bronze._

Arthur only _just_ withheld himself from throwing the phone against the wall.  

 

iv.

 

_Car ma vie, car mes joies_

 

It got worse, of course. The texts compromised another four phones and Arthur was at his breaking point.

Two of those phones had been other mid-job switches that frustrated both his clients and himself. What had started as a potential security break had developed into an almost daily annoyance and Arthur wasn’t sure what pissed him off more. The texts started to come like clockwork; one every evening. When the sender seemed to be out of strange quotes, it switched to random observations.

 

_Paris is beautiful this year._

_Tea should get more credit for the historical destruction and oppression it has caused in the world, and it for it’s taste. Quite simply delightful._

_It’s raining._

 

On one memorable occasion, while Arthur had been in a conference with potential clients, the menace decided to send the alphabet.

 

_A._

_B.  
_

_Ccccc_

_d e_

_f. g J!_

 

If it wasn’t for the way Arthur had to scramble to mute his phone, the inconsistency of the punctuation and capitalisation would have been the last straw.

 

v.

 

_Paisley_

 

The ninth phone got its text, but this time Arthur was ready for it. His tracing gear became superfluous, however, when the content of the message confirmed any suspicions Arthur might have had. He texted back in reflex, and was surprised that his text could actually be sent.

 

**_EAMES???_ **

_Hello darling, hope I didn’t bother you too much :)_

_I’ve been found out at last. Took you a while ;)_

_Just wanted to see if I could reach you_

_Might have gotten a bit carried away_

_I’ll buy you a drink to make up for it_

_See you, love._

 

Arthur looked at his phone in bewilderment, for what felt like the thousandth time this past year. He looked at the screen for a minute, but eventually sighed.

 

**_Name a time and place, Mr. Eames._ **

****

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'ed by therealpigfarts23 again! Send her love on tumblr please, she deserves it.


End file.
